Buy tourist visa and not use it until after free entry has expired?

zigzagry

Joined Travelfish25th November, 2009Posts: 1

Hey everyone. I'm going to be arriving in Bangkok in 3 weeks and would love if somebody could answer me this question.

If I purchase a tourist visa before I go, can I keep it unused until after the 30 day free entry has expired? Or is the tourist visa something stamped in my passport which they would notice and require me to use first?

I want to spend 3 weeks in Thailand. Then head to Vietnam and eventually back to Thailand for a longer stay. Maybe 4 weeks. Not having to make boarder runs would be ideal.

I've never had to get a visa before, is it just a passport stamp or a whole separate article?

Please let me know.
Thanks!
Ryan
I'm Canadian if that makes any difference.

travellings-arah

I can't completely answer your question, but re "Is it just a passport stamp or a whole separate article?" - it is a passport page-sized label which is stuck into a page of your passport. It will have a date of issue and an 'Enter before' date on it and when you enter the country it will be stamped as USED. Immigration will also put a stamp on another page which states date of entry and required exit.

As to whether you can use your free 30 days first, I don't know, but I doubt it: when we entered Thailand last they just stamped our visa. If you went in on your 'free' visa but stayed longer than 30 days I'm guessing you might have some problems when you leave as your tourist visa won't have been stamped and you won't have a correct stamp in your passport with exit date on. But as I say, I'm not 100% on that.

If you're only in Thailand for 3 weeks then 4 weeks, why not just get the 30 day 'free' entry visa each time? Unless you're heading back in by land in which case you will need to get a tourist visa in advance. But you could get that in Vietnam.

sharpie

Joined Travelfish28th February, 2010Posts: 36

sorry for jumping in you thread zigzagry but i didnt get any replies when i posted this query in an individual thread.
travellingsarah did i understand correctly that you can get a thai tourist visa in vietnam? do you know the cost? also how long till it expires?
thanks

travellings-arah

Eek, now you got me! I'm not completely sure - I was making the assumption that you could get a Thai visa whilst in Vietnam as I thought this was standard practice. There are certainly Thai Embassies in both Hanoi and HCMC so I don't see why you wouldn't be able to. Anyway, I'm in Hanoi so when I'm next out I'll see if the travel agents do it and let you know.

We actually got ours in Singapore - we had 3 months from date of issue in which to enter Thailand and then the visa was valid for a 60 day stay. This is standard. It was free at the time but I think it's now 1000B (see http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2482.php?id=2489). We didn't have to provide any proof of onward travel or finances.